This invention relates in general to reinforcement devices for loose leaf sheets and the like and particularly to pressure sensitive reinforcement devices.
Many devices are available in the prior art for strengthening the mounting holes of loose leaf papers and other types of removable record sheets. A very common reinforcement consists of doughnut-shaped pieces of fabric or plastic, coated with adhesive on one side, that are individually positioned around each mounting hole to strengthen the surrounding paper material. There are also especially manufactured reinforced loose leaf sheets having plastic material or metal joined along the vertical mounting edge of the sheet and incorporating mounting holes therein. Such special loose leaf sheets are very expensive and, consequently, not in general use.
In certain environments, notably hospitals and institutions, there is a great need for loose leaf records. The record sheets and charts are generally pre-printed and may include one or more mounting hole arrangements to enable their use in different loose leaf binder configurations. Some of the record sheets are designed to be top mounted, that is, horizontally along the upper edge of the sheet. Typical loose leaf binder mounting arrangements include three holes and five holes. There are also two-hole arrangements for use with popular flat metal clamps. The wear and tear to which these record sheets are subject in an institutional environment has given rise to a need for a low-cost, easily-applied device for reinforcing the mounting holes in such sheets. The prior art hole mounting reinforcement devices are for use with an individual hole, difficult to use and not convenient for the various configurations of binders available.